Using Digital Marketing Communications to Boost
SMEs’ Local Economic Growth in Karawang Regency
Firdaus Yuni Dharta
1*
, Chaerudin
2
, Danny Ramdani
3
{firdaus.yunidharta@fisip.unsika.ac.id
1
, chaerudin@feb.unsika.ac.id
2
,
danny.ramdani@feb.unsika.ac.id
3
}
Singaperbangsa University Karawang, Indonesia
123
Abstract. One of the objectives SMEs are aiming to achieve now is to increase digital
literacy. The development of digital literacy is the key area of interest in this study, which
makes use of in-depth interviews with a few informants who are critical to the growth of
SMEs in the Karawang Regency. Recent studies have shown that SMEs Karawang
suffered from several significant issues during the pandemic, two of which were the
absence of market outlets and of products’ legal aspects. Considering the study's findings,
several suggestions have been made to boost the expansion of SMEs. Increasing digital
literacy and employing digital marketing communication as a form of communication are
some of these suggestions.
Keywords: UMKM-1; Digital Marketing-2; Local Wisdom-3; Economic Growth-4;
Media Communication-5
1 Introduction
The way a business communicates with its clients has altered as a result of digital
marketing. The advancement of contemporary technologies has led to new ways of doing things.
Businesses must make significant modifications to stay up with these developments, the new
opportunities, and the new methods of marketing in the digital age. Digital marketing strategies
give business owners the best prospects for survival, competition, and even business growth in
the digital world where business and commerce are moving. Digital marketing is not only a
smart investment, but it's also a powerful marketing tool that may expand your company.
The emergence of digital technology is being steadily embraced by modern businesses and
organizations. In addition, SMEs are relocating and spending more on their internet marketing
plans. In this instance, SMEs might seek assistance from organizations such as Bank Indonesia
or academia to assist SMEs that have lost opportunities to digitalize their strategy. This study
will collect information about the use of digital marketing communications by MSMEs in
Karawang Regency through in-depth interviews with numerous key informants between
January and October 2022. In particular, the study aims to provide answers to the following
questions: (1) What is the current state of SME growth in Karawang Regency? (2) How the
SMEs in Karawang Regency utilized the digital marketing communication to boost the local
economic growth; (3) What is needed to succeed in implementing the digital marketing. This
study differs in a number of ways from earlier studies that concentrated on digital marketing.
First of all, this study is concerned with every facet of digital marketing communications. The
second goal of this research is to explore additional factors, like institutional design and
ICEMBA 2022, December 17, Tanjungpinang, Indonesia
Copyright © 2023 EAI
DOI 10.4108/eai.17-12-2022.2333225